Bass Pro shows it on the website but when I got there the gun looks a little different. It looks like the mag tube is just a little bit shorter, and the forearm is different. The receiver says 870 tactical but is definitely isn't this gun, but this gun has the same forearm as the one at Bass Pro.

The guy working the counter tells me the guns are the exact same but he can't find the one I'm looking for anywhere in their system. I've seen reviews on Buds saying customers got the same gun Bass Pro has. Is there any major difference between the two? For some reason I really like the way the first gun's mag tube is just as long as the barrel while the mag tube on the Bass Pro gun is a little shorter. Did Remington just make some slight changes and not update pics? Any help would be greatly appreciated!

The first gun is Remington's basic defense gun.
When these were first sold, the receivers were stamped "Home Defense".
Since then they've dropped the HD stamp and simply call it the Express synthetic 18".
It's available with the standard 4 shot magazine, or the extended magazine.
The fore end is the standard longer sporting fore end as used on most sporting models.

The second gun is basically the same gun only with a few bells and whistles sold in their Tactical series.
The barrel is threaded and fitted with a stand-off, which is used by SWAT teams on door breecher guns to prevent the muzzle from sliding and to vent the gas and prevent the barrel from rupturing.
Unless you plan on blowing doors with the special powdered breecher shells, it's strictly a cosmetic add on that's kind of silly.

However, you can remove it and use a standard screw-in choke which adds adaptability to the gun.
Because the stand-off is longer, the extension appears shorter.
With the stand-off removed and a standard screw-in choke installed, the extension will appear the same length as the first gun.

The receiver is fitted with a rail to mount different sights and peep or "ghost ring rifle type sights. The fore end is the shorter Police type fore end. The shorter Police fore end is to prevent interference with a receiver mounted side saddle shell holder, and to allow loading the magazine with the action open.

Unless you want the stand-off and the ability to use screw-in chokes and have a need for the rail or plan on shooting slugs with the rifle sights, you could save some money by buying the standard Express gun and changing out the fore end. New fore ends are inexpensive.

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